Advent Joy

December 19, 2023

During the past two weeks I have been drawn into a deep dive into the works of Ilea Delio, Diarmuid O’Murcho, Beatrice Bruteau, Teilhard de Chardin, and even a new book from David Bentley Hart (his 2022 You are Gods: On Nature and Supernature – way over my head theologically and philosophically but conceptually inspiring).

Yesterday I had my monthly talk with Jack (Professor of Philosophy Emeritus) with whom I have developed a deep friendship over the past four years. I began our conversation with Jack by saying how aware I am of this burst of energy around these writings – dare I confess that in the past two weeks I have purchased 20 books by these and related authors! (See the list of some of these at the end of this blog) And I realize that I am reading them, not just buying them! I told Jack that I was confused by having all this energy. Jack Smiled. “This is great, Gary!” I felt immediately affirmed, connected, and encouraged by his excitement. “Gary, welcome to the world of the mystic that you are.” At this I smiled too.

This morning I read today’s edition of ICN’s weekly blog, here by co-founder Luke Healy. As I read Luke’s blog I realized that perhaps my Joy in this burst of pent-up energy is in fact my own experience of the very Christ Energy Luke describes in his blog (and in the links he includes within the text). Thank you so much, Luke, for your message. And it comes “just in time” for me to recognize what is going on in me in my experience of such Joy – an Advent blessing indeed!

On another point, while I may not have a correct interpretation of Teilhard de Chardin’s words that Luke uses to introduce this piece, I was struck by Teilhard’s words, “In the humanity which is begotten today, the Word prolongs the unending act of God’s own birth; … The immense host [the bread of the Mass], which is the universe, is made flesh.” Perhaps these words are from Teilhard’s Mass on the World, words which so moved me this week in my reading. I’m referring to words from Ilea Delio’s 2016 book “Personal Transformation and a New Creation: The Spiritual Revolution of Beatrice Bruteau.” Specifically, I was moved by Chapter 8: “The Eucharist as Liturgical Drama: Teilhard’s The Mass on the World” by Kathleen Duffy, SSJ. This chapter on Teilhard’s Mass on the World was a moving chapter for me this week (even though I’m not Catholic), and I felt moved to purchase “Teilhard’s Mass: Approaches to ‘The Mass on the World’” by Thomas King. For the creative among us this might be an ICN ritual worth developing at some point – since this is what we are doing: “prolonging the unending act of God’s own birth.”

Some of the books purchased this month…

The Phenomenon of Man by Teilhard de Chardin

The Not-Yet God: Carl Jung, Teilhard de Chardin, and the Relational Whole by Ilea Delio (2023)

The Hours of the Universe: Reflections on God, Science, and the Human Journey by Ilea Delio (2021)

What to Believe?: Twelve Brief Lessons in Radical Theology by John Caputo (2023)

Paschal Paradox: Reflections on a Life of Spiritual Evolution by Diarmuid O’Murchu (2022)

Evolution’s Arrow: the direction of evolution and the future of humanity by John Stewart (2000)

Beyond the Pandemic: Spiritual and Ecological Challenges by Diarmuid O’Murchu (2022)

You are Gods: On Nature and Supernature by David Bentley Hart (2022)

The Rhythm of Being: The Gifford Lectures by Raimon Panikkar (2013)

Teilhard’s Mass: Approaches to “The Mass on the World” by Thomas King (2005)

The Synthesis of Yoga by Sri Aurobindo